First off, I owe credit on this video to a lot of people: Seth Adam Smith for showing me this video, the music credits go to Petri Alanko with Alan Wake, and the idea was from a comment on the the video which is no longer there (you know who you are).
The reason I share this video is because I enjoy watching this brief portion of these characters’ interaction. I think that while the story is fiction, it reflects on similar situations that are real. I’ve seen myself as either character at different times. In this scene, Rocky is talking with his son Robert, who is struggling as a young adult and blaming his dad’s reputation.
Rocky’s response to his Robert’s anger and frustration was neither harsh, nor bitter, nor resentful. He just explained to his child how he saw him. He calmly and sincerely related to him a piece of his heart, a cherished memory. This was not done with the intention brag or even proclaim status, it was done out of love.
Next, he shares some wisdom with son. I think that he teaches some powerful lessons.
Rocky explains to his son that he was not believing in himself anymore. He had become selfish, cowardly and feeling justified for lying to himself. He wasn’t living up to his own potential, but rather measuring himself by how other people measured him. Rocky’s lesson is for him to believe in himself, trust himself and be honest with himself.
Another life lesson from my guy Sly:
“Life is not about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward”
This lesson is absolutely true. Especially when it comes to how we deal with those closest to us. Oftentimes, the deepest wounds are made by those that are closest to us. It’s one thing to feel insulted, offended or attacked by a stranger, but it’s quite another thing when coming from the closest to us. Sadly, we can often inflict the most damage to those we love the most. That’s when Sly’s life lesson comes into play.
How do we react when I feel attacked by others. Do we swing back? Do we walk away? Or do we keep moving forward?
But it’s not just about what what I do. Far more important is how we do it. Suppose we condescendingly avoid conflict, have we really made anything better? Or perhaps we don’t say what we know we should say to avoid a scene or an awkward conversation. Have we really solved anything?
As we jump into this next year, I hope that we hit that ground running and keep in mind that life will hit us, but we can continue to strive. Remember that in all the good things you pursue, keep moving forward.